INTERVIEW: Boston Consulting Exec Urges Japan to Clarify Purpose of Investment

Tokyo, June 2 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government needs to clarify the purpose of its strategic investment that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is promoting, Reiko Akiike, co-chair of Boston Consulting Group Japan, said in a recent interview. Akiike said she has strong expectations for the investment in 17 areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technology. Investment in AI and semiconductors is “absolutely necessary as a country,” she said. “Will we accept what domestic AI can do, or will we nurture it to take an appropriate position in the world? The government should think about where to aim,” Akiike said. The government should set appropriate evaluation standards for the investment, and how to spend money depends on whether they have been met, she said. She also urged the government to clarify the purpose of the investment because it is partly financed by taxpayers’ money. Akiike will become vice chair of the Japan Business Federation, the country’s largest business lobby, known as Keidanren, on Wednesday. She will be one of two women in Keidanren’s 20 vice chairs. While Japan remains among the lowest in terms of gender equality among developed countries, Akiike said the landscape will change if “more people, regardless of gender, choose to continue working even if there are periods when they can’t work.” “It is natural for people to have periods when they work energetically and those when they are unable to work due to child rearing or caring for relatives,” she said, stressing the importance of making diverse options available. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]